[Dixielandjazz] "Dixieland" and Condon

[Stephen G Barbone]

This historical perspective from a New Yorker during Condon's halcyon  
years who inhabited his club in the Village on a regular basis from  
1949 to 1958, with a 2 year break in between for military service. And  
who had numerous conversations with him and various musicians there.

Neither Condon, nor any of the musicians in his various bands liked to  
be limited by the word "Dixieland" as a descriptor of the music they  
played. In effect, they felt "Dixieland", with all of its baggage, was  
a type of music for squares. Wild Bill Davison hated the term as it  
was applied to him. And even if you didn't know him, his wife Anne  
would verify that many times after his death.

Whether today, we like it or not, back then "Dixieland" was applied to  
white bands. Black bands played "small band jazz". Yet the music was  
the same. <grin> Condon bands were racially mixed and so the hip  
musicians playing in his bands would not particularly want to be  
associated with a square term like "Dixieland".

That's not very different from many musicians today, who play  
Dixieland, among other genres. Most will refer to themselves as  
musicians, or jazz musicians, and not Dixieland Musicians. Who among  
us wishes to be limited by so restrictive a style of music?

However, Condon did use the term "Dixieland" and/or "Modern Dixieland"  
when it suited him, to describe what he was playing. And what he  
played at Nick's before he opened his own joint came to be known as  
"Nicksieland".

He loved the music, whatever he. or we called it, but has his own  
limits as to what he felt was jazz. If for example, you talked to him  
about Paul Whiteman and/or Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall he would  
scoff and say that Whiteman didn't play real jazz and Goodman's  
Carnegie Concert certainly wasn't jazz.

Condon was a complex man, sentimental to a fault, yet hiding that  
behind his facade of wisecracks. So whenever we try and quote him, or  
figure out what he meant, we need to consider his entire life as a  
background, and the particular situation preceding his utterance to  
the particular quote.

For example, his "we called it music" quote and book title was  
developed prior to the opening of his joint in  the Village. (before  
1947). Yet he really called it "Jazz" or "Real Jazz" during the times  
I spoke with him. And he calls it jazz" or "real jazz" throughout the  
book.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband